Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American neighbors Canada and Mexico was 18.3 percent higher in August than in August 2010, totaling $80.4 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. This was the second time on record that U.S.-NAFTA trade by land modes exceeded $80 billion in one month; the first time was in March 2011.
The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in August rose 48.2 percent in two years from August 2009 and 11.3 percent in three years from August 2008. The August value increased by 21.2 percent when compared to August 2006 and by 70.6 percent when compared to August 2001; imports in August were up 59.7 percent since August 2001, while exports were up 84.8 percent.
BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, also reported that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico increased 11.1 percent in August from July; month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.
U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade both increased compared to August 2010, with U.S.-Canada reaching $47.5 billion, a 19.1 percent increase; and U.S.-Mexico reaching $32.9 billion, a 17.2 percent increase. Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada at $6.4 billion, a 19.3 percent increase from August 2010; and Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico at $11.9 billion, a 16.7 percent increase from August.
The TransBorder Freight Data are a subset of official U.S. foreign trade statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. New data are tabulated monthly, and historical data are not adjusted for inflation. Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones and other modes. In July, 85.2 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via land, 10.8 percent moved by vessel, and 4.1 percent moved by air.
